Online reservations continue to increase in importance as more and more consumers demand real-time, instant reservations. This page will keep you up to date on industry trends and online reservation news; if you'd like us to address a particular topic, don’t hesitate to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Online reservations news
Tips of the month
Innkeeper comments
How to load rates and availability

Online reservations news

The billboard effect: A compelling new study from Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research demonstrates how exposure on large Online Travel Agent sites can result in more direct bookings for properties.  This "billboard effect" can benefit any property which appears on our partner sites.  Click here to read more about this study.

Kayak.com begins advertising blitz: Our partner site Kayak.com has begun a major advertising campaign to draw travelers during tough times.  This campaign includes primetime television commercials, billboards in popular travel destinations, and targeted online advertising.  All BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations properties can be found on Kayak.com, and stand to benefit from this exposure.  Click here to read more about this new ad campaign.

Don't forget to update your inventory! Travelers are making holiday plans, and many of you do not have rates or inventory loaded through the end of the year. If you do not use RezOvation GT or Webervations to manage your inventory, then you must log in to the Online Reservations Manager and manually update your information. While you're there, why not add inventory through 2010? You don't want to miss out on any reservations because your rooms appear as unavailable when travelers perform searches. You can load rates and inventory for up to two years out.

RezOvation GT and Webervations operate on a rolling calendar, so each day, a new day is added to your inventory. Webervations users always have rates and inventory loaded for 365 days out. RezOvation GT users can select how far out they'd like inventory loaded (six months, one year, etc). Because of this, don't forget to black out any dates you do not want made available on the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations program.

New blog for online reservations: The BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations blog offers user tips, travel trends, and updates about the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations program as well as online reservations in general. Click here to subscribe via email.

We've added Travelocity to our list of partners!
B&Bs in the Online Reservations program will be bookable on Travelocity and its affiliate sites this fall. You'll be getting more exposure with no extra effort.

Promo for online reservations properties:
Every month, BedandBreakfast.com runs a different promotion that features online reservation properties. There is absolutely no extra cost to you for this extra marketing and exposure, so make sure you have inventory loaded to take advantage of these promotions!

Not participating in the program? Join the 1,700 inns who are opening their doors to the world. Sign up today!

Did you know?

• Expedia is by far the largest online travel site in the world, with 60 million visitors each month.
• Expedia has more than 18 different sites all across the world, including Canada, Mexico, Asia, and Europe.
• hotels.com has over 50 affiliate sites worldwide; your property will be included on all of them.
• Expedia owns Hotwire.com, Smartertravel.com, bookingbuddy.com, independenttraveler.com and venere.com.
• If you are looking to increase reservations from international travelers, this is the way to do it.
• When you participate in BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations, you are bookable on all these websites, and many more:

More options for you: BedandBreakfast.com now offers two pricing options for the Online Reservations program:

• 25% option — Properties have been asking for a lower rate on this program for some time, and we listened! Properties can now offer net rates that are 25% (instead of the usual 30%) below their retail rates. BedandBreakfast.com marks the room back up and sells it at the property’s normal retail rate. Minimum inventory allotments required.
• 30% option — Properties can offer their rates at 30% below their retail rates. BedandBreakfast.com and our partner sites mark the room back up to the property’s normal retail rate and attempt to sell it. When we do, the property receives 70% of the value of the reservation. No minimum inventory allotment required.

Questions? Click here for Online Reservations information, or contact us at 800-GO-B-AND-B (800-462-2632) ext. 4 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Tip of the month: cancellation policies and exceptions

With each online reservation you receive, remember that guests have already accepted the terms of your cancellation policy. Nevertheless, sometimes guests cancel inside of your policy and seek to avoid cancellation fees. Here are some ways to alleviate headaches, avoid a negative review and encourage a positive experience for the manager and guest when this happens.

There is a time and place for an exception to your cancellation policy for the online traveler. What you lose in revenue can come back to you in a future reservation and a happy guest who's a fan of your property.

There are going to be guests whose plans change or have personal emergencies that cause them to change the dates of their stay. In some cases there are external factors (flu outbreak, hurricane, wildfire or death in the family) outside of their control. Providing an exception to policy can leave a good taste in their mouths and encourage a future stay.

If you are thinking about giving a guest a waiver, you may want to take these factors into consideration:

• Are all rooms reserved and guests have been turned away?
• Can you rebook the room?
• How long has the reservation been booked?
• Do the guests plan to reserve a future date/are they regular guests who have stayed with you before?
• Will granting an exception keep a guest happy enough to come again?
• Many properties offer different options such as rain checks or gift certificates, or allowing another guest to stay on the reservation.

Cancellation policies are in place to protect your interests with respect to the online reservations program. Always remain courteous to guests to ensure a positive experience. In a case where you are not granting an exception to your cancellation policy, please be sure to explain the reasons for your position and inability to offer an exception. Many guests will feel less negative about the fees they owe to your property when they have a better understanding of how it affects you.

Online reservations can provide more guests reservations. They can also provide more inquiries about cancellation policies. Treating each guest inquiry as an opportunity and providing some exceptions can go a long way toward promoting your business in a positive fashion.

To read more tips, click here to visit the Online Reservations Blog. Click here to subscribe to the blog and get an email when there is a new post.

Innkeeper comments

"Our first full year on the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations program produced a 63% increase in revenues and a 28% increase in occupancy over previous years. I would not hesitate to recommend BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations.  This kind of exposure puts a small property like ours toe-to-toe with the big guys." — Wendy Keene, Applesauce Inn B&B, Bellaire  MI

"I really appreciate how BedandBreakfast.com is working to assist B&Bs in competing with the larger hotels by putting them on a more even playing field in a way that is not possible as an individual property, particularly with internet presence." — Yvonne, Avalon B&B, Key West, FL

"BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations opens up a totally different world for us with hotel folks, who would never find us otherwise."  — Philip and Ellen Wolff, Village Victorian Bed & Breakfast, Morrisville, VT

If you'd like to start getting more exposure via Expedia and hotels.com, sign up today for BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations! Getting set up is quick and easy, and you'll receive a one-on-one training session to learn the program.

Are you a part of the program but are not getting the exposure you had hoped for? Make sure you have availability loaded into the system.

How to load rates and availability

Adding more rates and room availability is easy! Just take five minutes to log in and enter your rates and inventory into the Online Reservations Manager by following these simple steps:

1. Log into your Home Base, then click the green Online Reservations Manager button.
2. Scroll over the Rates/Availability tab and from the dropdown menu, click the room type you want to add to.
3. Click on the Add/Edit Range button; always click Set New, even if you're entering the same rate you previously had. Make sure that when you're entering your rate, you click on the blue calculator button to enter it. This will calculate your Net Rate for you.
4. Availability: Always click Set New here as well, even if you're entering the same number as before. Please enter the number of rooms of this type that are available. Set any min/max stays you may have, and choose a date range for the change. If you only want to enter these rates for the weekdays, make sure to uncheck the weekends, and vice versa.
5. Last, click on the Save Changes button; then remember to blackout any dates that are currently booked to avoid any potential double bookings.

It's that easy! If you have any questions or need assistance loading more inventory, please let us know. We are happy to help you load more room inventory right over the phone. Call us Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST at 800-462-2632 extension 4.

Questions? Please send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .